With millions of viewers watching on pay per view and television, the sport of mixed martial arts has exploded in the United States. The UFC is the sports flagship event. With one pay per view a month and numerous live shows per year; the UFC has given the sport and the fighter’s unlimited exposure. With the added popularity, fans are starting to realize that MMA conditioning is harder than most professional sports. MMA training consists of several different martial arts plus strength and conditioning workouts.
There is much debate on mma conditioning workouts. Many fighters do different things. Some fighters perform high rep exercises using lighter weight and perform sets according to time. Another popular method is circuit training. While all of these mma routines have several benefits, I believe that mma strength training should change from fight to fight. Every fighter is different so the workouts should change as well. With that being said, here is a basic strength-training workout to get you started.
DAY 1Regular barbell bench press 4 sets of 3-5 reps
Incline dumbbell press 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Barbell rows 4 sets of 15
Standing face pulls 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps
Hanging leg raises 3 sets to failure
30 minutes of cardio training
DAY 2Box squats 5 sets of 5 reps
Step-ups 3 sets of 15 reps
Leg curls or glute-ham raise 3 sets of 6-10 reps
Wrist roller for time
30 minutes of cardio training
DAY 3Bodyweight dips 3 sets to failure
Rope pushdowns 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Pull ups 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Dumbbell shoulder press 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Hammer curls 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Hanging leg raises 3 sets
30 minutes of cardio training
This mma workout will help you develop power and muscular conditioning. This workout is not set in stone. Most fighters have injuries they have to deal with so the exercises and reps can always be changed. The conclusion of this should be followed with 30 minutes of cardio. If you were beat up from training, I would recommend doing some shadowboxing or other mma drills that you are comfortable with. I am a firm believer that the best martial art conditioning comes from actual martial arts training. Nothing can replace wrestling and Thai pad training. So if you are looking to get in fight shape or just be strong, try this three-day a week mma strength workout.
Josh Rafferty
Professional MMA Fighter and Coachwww.i-supplements.com
Josh Rafferty has been absorbing and learning about Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness since childhood. Josh has competed in Mixed Martial Arts for over ten years both in the ring and in the corner of some legendary fighters. His fighting career has made him famous, appearing in the hit television shows The Ultimate Fighter and Adrenalin and even made a cameo appearance in the major motion picture Redbelt. Find more from Josh at www.i-supplements.com
